40 - ANDALUSIAN COLD VEGETABLE SOUP (GAZPACHO ANDALUZ)

Gazpacho is known as a type of cold vegetable soup with ingredients like Bread, Olive Oil, Sherry Vinegar and raw vegetables: usually Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Onions and Garlic.

Gazpacho is usually served fresh in the hot summer months. Its color varies from pale orange to red, as are used more or less mature tomatoes .  The actual origin of Gazpacho is uncertain, although it has traditionally been considered a dish coming from Andalucia region (south of Spain), where Olive Oil and garden products are in abundance.

The original Gazpacho (mixture of Crumbled Bread, Olive Oil and Vinegar) was feeding southern Iberian peasants for centuries and with time evolved to many different varieties of cold and hot Gazpachos, being of all the most popular and internationalized called Gazpacho Andaluz.

The Andalucian Gazpacho is usually served as a drink fresh / food nice and comforting flavors. It has unique organoleptic characteristics of taste, aroma and color due to the variety of vegetables that compose it. The Gazpacho ingredients used as a set of five vegetables, which vary in proportion according to the tastes of the town, cook or family, such as:

The modern Gazpacho originates, in part, with the advent of electric blenders, which can be included directly all ingredients together in a bowl. This Gazpacho is of slight thick consistence and some people think he loses classic texture due to the homogeneous final result. There are people who like more watery (known as aguaillo), to take it as a refreshing drink.

The classic Gazpacho is served in a soup bowl. In some cases it is made fresh and added crushed ice chips. Tablespoon is usually employed when served on a plate, whereas when served in a glass is considered a nice beverage. Apart  all of this, Gazpacho can be also served with a garnish of finely chopped pieces of the same ingredients that make Gazpacho like cubes of toasted bread, Tomato, Cucumber, Green Pepper and Onion. 

INGREDIENTS for 4 people:

- 6 Medium size ripe Tomatoes.

- 1/2 Green Bell Pepper.

- 1/2 Cucumber.

- 1 Clove of Garlic

- 2 slices of Old and Hard Bread.

- 1 and a half Glass of Water.

- 2 teaspoon of Salt.

- 5 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

- 3 or 4 Tablespoons of Sherry Vinegar.

STEP 1 - Get all vegetables ready.

STEP 2 - Chop the Tomatoes into quarters, peel and chop the  Cucumber, chop the Green Pepper and  peel the Garlic clove.

STEP 3 - Get a big Jug or the glass of a blender ready.

STEP 4 - Add the Tomatoes...

STEP 5 - ...and blend.

STEP 6 - Add the Cucumber and Garlic...

STEP 7 - ...and blend.

STEP 8 - Add the Pepper...

STEP 9 - ...blend again.

STEP 10 - Add the Slices of Bread...

STEP 11 - ...keep blending.

STEP 12 - Now add the 1+1/2 glasses of Water.

STEP 13 - Add the Olive Oil, the Sherry Vinegar and Salt.

STEP 14 - Blend the mixture again.

STEP 15 - Add the Ice (amount will depend on how cold you like Gazpacho).

STEP 16 - Blend again.

STEP 17 - Serve Gazpacho into a bowl.

STEP 18 - You can use the other some chopped vegetables (such as Cucumber, Green Pepper, or Tomato) to add into the Gazpacho as shown in the picture.

STEP 19 - Your delicious Gazpacho soup is ready. :-) Please enjoy.